And that which you sow, you sow not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may by chance be wheat, or of some other grain:
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
If a seed dies and comes back again with so much additional benefit to the human race, why is it incredible that a human body should rise again, by the power of God, with an equally improved substance? Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
Thou sowest not that body that shall be. When you sow you do not sow the body which will rise from the seed, as, e.g, a tree or an ear, but bare seed, of apple, or of wheat, &c, and yet God gives to this seed sown, when it spring from the earth, not any other seed, but a complete and beautiful body, e.g, of a tree or of an ear, which is beautifully composed of its own stalk, beard, blossoms, and grains. Hence S. Augustine says ( Ephesians 146) that the Apostle implies, "if God can add to the new seed something it had not before, much more can He at the resurrection restore man"s body."
For the things before spoken meet the question, how they are raised; but this, the doubt, with what manner of body they come. But what is, you sow not that body which shall be? Not an entire ear of grain, nor new grain. For here his discourse no longer regards the resurrection, but the manner of the resurrection, what is the kind of body which shall rise again; as whether it be of the same kind, or better and more glorious. And he takes both from the same analogy, intimating that it will be much better.
But the heretics, considering none of these things, dart in upon us and say, one body falls and another body rises again. How then is there a resurrection? For the resurrection is of that which was fallen. But where is that wonderful and surprising trophy over death, if one body fall and another rise again? For he will no longer appear to have given back that which he took captive. And how can the alleged analogy suit the things before mentioned? Why, it is not one substance that is ...
